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Indian woman’s Hockey team captain Rani Rampal

“I wanted an escape from my life; from the electricity shortages, to the mosquitoes buzzing in our ear when we slept, from barely having two square meals to seeing our home getting flooded when it rained. My parents tried their best, but there was only so much they could do–Papa was a cart puller and Maa worked as a maid.

There was a hockey academy near my home, so I’d spend hours watching players practice–I really wanted to play. Papa would earn Rs.80 a day and couldn’t afford to buy me a stick. Everyday, I’d ask the coach to teach me too. He’d reject me because I was malnourished. He’d say, ‘You aren’t strong enough to pull through a practice session.’
So, I found a broken hockey stick on the field and began practicing with that– I didn’t have training clothes, so I was running around in a salwar kameez. But I was determined to prove myself. I begged the coach for a chance– maine bahut mushkil se convince kiya unko finally

But when I told my family, they said, ‘Ladkiya ghar ka kaam hi karti hai,’ and ‘Hum tumhe skirt pehen kar khelne nahi denge.’ I’d plead with them saying, ‘Please mujhe jaane do. If I fail, I’ll do whatever you want.’ My family reluctantly gave in.
Training would start early in the morning. We didn’t even have a clock, so mom would stay up and look at the sky to check if it was the right time to wake me.

At the academy, it was mandatory for each player to bring 500 ml of milk. My family could only afford milk worth 200 ml; without telling anyone, I’d mix the milk with water and drink it because I wanted to play.

My coach supported me through thick and thin; he’d buy me hockey kits and shoes. He even allowed me to live with his family and took care of my dietary needs. I’d train hard and wouldn’t miss a single day of practice.

I remember earning my first salary; I won Rs.500 after winning a tournament and gave the money to Papa. He hadn’t ever held so much money in his hands before. I promised my family, ‘One day, we’re going to have our own home’; I did everything in my power to work towards that.
After representing my state and playing in several championships, I finally got a national call up at the age of 15! Still, my relatives would only ask me when I was planning on getting married. But Papa told me, ‘Play until your heart’s content.’ With my family’s support, I focused on doing my best for India and eventually, I became captain of the Indian hockey team!
Soon after, while I was at home, a friend papa used to work with visited us. He brought along his granddaughter and told me, ‘She’s inspired by you and wants to become a hockey player!’ I was so happy; I just started crying.

प्रेरणादायक और यहां हम जैसे लोगों के बच्चे तो पूरी सुख सुविधाएं संपन्नता सब कुछ होते हुए भी कुछ नहीं कर पाते… और हम उनके आगे पीछे खड़े उनके फरमाइशें ही पूरी करते रहते हैं और फिर भी जिंदगी में उनकी हमसे शिकायतें खत्म नहीं होती… आपने हमारे लिए किया ही क्या है यही सुनते रहते हैं.. आपके पास हमारे लिए वक्त ही कहां है… वगैरा-वगैरा ना करने के लिए हजारों बहाने और बिगड़ने के लिए सैकड़ों रास्ते… ना हमारे मां-बाप के पास हमारे लिए वक्त था और ना ही उन्होंने हमें सारी सुख सुविधाएं चांदी की चम्मच की तरह हाथों में दी थी हम लोगों ने भी मेहनत करके ही सब कुछ पाया है और अगर अपने बच्चों से यही अपेक्षा रखते हैं तो क्या गलत रखते हैं अपने बच्चों को चूचू का मुरब्बा नहीं बनाई है उन्हें गलत दिशा में जाने से आप ही रोक सकते हैं उनसे डर डर के रहना छोड़ दीजिए कहीं कुछ कर ना लें.. ऐसा ना कर लें…कहीं वैसा ना करलें के चक्कर में उन्हें और ज्यादा कमजोर और निर्भर ना बनाइए … आजकल के अच्छे संपन्न घर परिवारों के बच्चे वैसे भी कुछ नहीं कर पा रहे हैं वह जो भी कर रहे हैं आप अपने मां बाप के पैसों के बल पर कर रहे हैं ना कि अपने दिमाग , अपने ज्ञान और अपनी मेहनत के बल पर… परीक्षाओं में नंबर आजकल हर किसी को मिल जाते हैं तो नंबरों की बात मत करिएगा …यह मेरी अपनी राय है अपना अनुभव है… मैं हर दिल से चाहती हूं हर बच्चा अंदर से सशक्त बने ज्ञानवान बने ऊर्जावान बने और कुछ अद्भुत अनोखा करके दिखाए… यही कामना है ।